1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to wireless information communication systems, and in particular to cordless telephones with integral telephone answering devices (TADs).
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention relates to telephone answering machines, but also to telephone functions now commonly available in personal computers equipped with voice/fax modems.
Heretofore, telephone answering devices and other voice messaging solutions, including computer implemented voice mail functions (hereinafter collectively referred to as xe2x80x9cTADxe2x80x9d), could be answered by someone other than the intended called party. In other words, when a calling party attempting to reach a called party called the TAD, some other person could inadvertently pick up the telephone during the outgoing message (OGM) and interrupted the message recording process. Typically, the OGM would be interrupted so that the calling party and the answering party could speak to one another immediately without the noise and inconvenience of the OGM playing over their conversation, such as seen in U.S. RE 33,507 issued to Hashimoto for cordless TADs or other methods related to conventional corded TADs such as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,707 issued to Hanscom. However, this was inconvenient for both the party answering the called parties"" line and also inconvenient for the calling party, for a number of reasons. one case, the answering party would be then required to manually take a message from the calling party, which may lead to inaccuracies in the message being conveyed to the called party because of errors by the answering party in transcribing the message or due to message complexity. In another case, the calling party would then have to call the TAD again in order to record a complete message, in hopes that the call would not be again answered by the wrong person. Or in the case where the answering party returned the telephone to an on-hook condition in an attempt to return control to the TAD for message handling, the on-hook condition would be detected and the calling party would be disconnected from the TAD. Another problem occurs when the proper called party answers the telephone and interrupts the message handling of the TAD and does not have time to talk to the calling party.
In an attempt to alleviate the problem, Hashimoto U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,652 teaches the use of a line monitoring circuit that detects an initial off-hook condition by the answering party and measures a predetermined period of time (for example, 3 seconds) to see if an on-hook condition occurs within the predetermined period of time. The line monitoring circuit detects that the telephone has been taken off-hook by the answering party (as opposed to the intended called party) in response to the incoming call. Then, a timer is started to monitor for a subsequent detection of an on-hook condition by the answering party after it is discovered the call was answered in error. If the on-hook condition occurs within the predetermined time period, the TAD is then allowed to continue in completing the message process and a message from the calling party is recorded on tape or digital memory such as a memory IC or analog tape. The problem with this approach is that in the event the answering party takes longer than the predetermined time period to return the telephone to an on-hook condition, the TAD cannot be returned to take control of the message process.
In order to solve the foregoing problems, an objective of the present invention is to provide a means for allowing an improved call intercept function in which the control of the message handling function by the TAD can be reestablished without dependence upon a predetermined time period after an off-hook condition has occurred.
It is a further objective of the invention to allow for a specific predetermined DTMF or voice signal or command to be received by the TAD from either the calling party, or the answering party, after an off-hook condition so that message handling may be returned to the TAD to record a message after an on-hook condition.
It is also an objective of the invention to allow any general DTMF signal to be depressed from an extension or cordless telephone which will allow the answering party who may not be familiar with specific codes for the called party TAD to reestablish call control to the TAD prior to placing the telephone in an off-hook condition.
IMPROVED CALL INTERRUPT FEATURE:
It is one objective of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for an improved call interrupt feature in cordless TAD, in the preferred embodiment, consisting of the following steps:
(1) a ringing signal is received at a base unit.
(2) the base unit transmits a wireless signal to a cordless handset.
(3) the cordless handset receives the wireless signal from the base, and initiates a local ringer.
(4) the base unit TAD counts a predetermined number of rings.
(5) the base unit TAD initiates an off-hook condition in response to detection of a predetermined number of rings.
(6) the OGM is played at the base unit TAD.
(7) the called party presses the xe2x80x9cTALKxe2x80x9d button in response to ringing signal, but after the OGM has started.
(8) the base unit receives a wireless talk request signal (TRS) from cordless handset, initiates an OGM end detection means, and continues to play the OGM for the calling party.
(9) upon detection of end of the OGM by OGM end and detection means, the base unit inhibits the start of the ICM means and connects the calling party with the called party at the cordless handset.
TALK REQUEST CONFIRMATION:
In a first alternative embodiment, in response to Step (7) above, and simultaneous with the continuation of the OGM played separately for the calling party, the base unit transmits a wireless signal back to the called party at the cordless handset (hereafter known as a xe2x80x9cTalk Request Confirmation Signalxe2x80x9d or TRCS) to verify receipt of the Talk request by the base unit. Such a TRCS means could be a voice annunciation such as xe2x80x9cPlease hold, you will be connected shortlyxe2x80x9d, generated by a synthesized voice from the base unit, or a display of a predefined message on a display at the cordless handset.
The TRCS signaling means created at the base unit could be comprised of a synthesized voice that also incorporated caller ID data received between the ringing signals at the base unit in the conventional manner that was then synthesized and included in the talk request response signal to be sent back to the cordless handset. In this example, a called party might hear, xe2x80x9cYou will be connected with John Doe calling from 555-1212xe2x80x9d.
Finally, a music on hold version of the TRCS signal, or some other TRCS alerting means, such as a textual display, could be transmitted from the base unit to the cordless handset until the OGM end detection means detected the end of the OGM. Then, the calling party and the called party would be connected and a voice communication could occur.
Alternatively, in response to a digital or analog TRCS transmitted from the base unit to the cordless handset, a vibration, light signal, audible response, or textual display could be generated for the called party by an alert generation means housed within the cordless handset.
In any case, the TRCS announcement means could be heard by the called party in response to a talk request from the called party that is generated by a signaling generator contained within the cordless handset, or by a signaling generator contained within the base unit. The talk request confirmation could be heard by the called party at the cordless handset up until conclusion of the OGM. The called party would then know that he or she would be connected immediately after conclusion of the OGM, or the TRCS could be immediately interrupted should the OGM conclude prior to conclusion of the TRCS.
HANG-UP DETECTION:
Should the calling party hang up prior to conclusion of the OGM, some means of detecting that the calling party was no longer on the line at the base unit would allow the called party to immediately know the calling party had disconnected. This could be accomplished in a number of ways. For example, upon detection of the calling party terminating the call at the base unit, the base unit could be placed in an on-hook condition and a termination signal could then be sent to the cordless handset, which would notify the called party that there is no longer a calling party on line. In another embodiment, a signal could be sent from the base unit to the cordless handset in response to calling party termination of the call that would automatically place the handset in an on-hook condition for the calling party. An optional termination signal, such as a particular ringing signal or voice annunciation could accompany the on-hook condition at the cordless handset to inform the called party of the situation, such as a peculiar cadence or frequency of the ringing signal or a synthesized voice annunciation such as xe2x80x9cThe calling party has disconnectedxe2x80x9d. Finally, in another alternative embodiment, a special signal could be received by the called party at the cordless handset, generated by a signal generator contained within the base unit that is responsive to termination of the call by the calling party, that would transmit a particular signal from the base station to the cordless handset, indicating to the called party that the calling party has disconnected.
CONVERSATION RECORDING:
Alternatively, in response to a conversation recording switch means contained in at least one of either the base unit, or a conversation recording switch means contained in the cordless handset, the ICM means in the base unit would not be turned off at the conclusion of the OGM in response to receipt at the base unit of a xe2x80x9cTalkxe2x80x9d request. If the called party placed the conversation recording switch means previously described to a conversation recording mode prior to or concurrent with receipt of an incoming call, then the ICM means would be made operable and the conversation would be recorded immediately after conclusion of the OGM and upon conversation between the calling and the called parties. Upon detection of an on-hook condition, or after detection for a predetermined time during which no voice signals were recorded, or in response to a change in the loop current at the base unit, or in response to an on-hook wireless signal received from the cordless handset at the base unit, or in some other means known to those skilled in the art, the ICM means would be stopped and made ready to record the next call.
RING CONTINUATION:
In an alternative embodiment, the conversation recording means at the base unit could be actuated automatically in response to particular called party preferences stored in advance at the base unit and compared against caller ID data received in the conventional manner. If a particular calling party had previously been registered by a called party in a memory mans within the base unit, and a comparator within the base unit determined a match between the prestored calling party data and caller ID data received, then the conversation recording means could be immediately initiated in response to the called party establishing communication by placing a talk request. The conversation recording means could be initiated and made ready to record a conversation anytime after receipt of caller ID data and prior to establishment of conversation between the calling party and the called party. In particular, even should the called party initiate a talk request after the start of the OGM, the automatic actuation of the conversation recording means could occur. This improvement has the advantage of eliminating the need for a manual conversation recording operation switch. In the prior art systems, it would be easy for a called communicant to forget to turn on the conversation recording means, which may typically be turned off by default or was only located at the base station.
In another alternative embodiment, the ringing signal in the handset would continue to ring after initiation by Step (2) above until such time as the OGM is concluded as determined by Step (9) above. Then, upon receipt from the base unit of an OGM end signal, the ringing signal generation means or other signaling means within the cordless handset would be stopped, and the base unit and the cordless handset would be connected for communication between the calling and the called parties. This way, the called party would be able to continue with the activity they were previously engaged for additional time prior to picking up the handset.
Alternatively, the ringing signal generation means in the cordless handset could be substituted with an audio confirmation generated by the cordless handset to be heard only by the called party, such as xe2x80x9cPlease waitxe2x80x9d. Upon detection of the end of the OGM, as in Step (9) above, communication would then be established prior to, during, or immediately after the initiation of the ICM means in the base unit.
Alternatively, the OGM heard by the calling party could be interrupted in response to a talk request received at the base unit and an alternative OGM, or other signaling means such as xe2x80x9cThe party you are trying to reach is now being connected, please waitxe2x80x9d, could be played for at least one of the calling and the called parties. Then, the base unit could automatically, or in response to a command by the calling or called party, connect the communicants. For example, at least one of the calling party and the called party could be instructed by a synthesized voice prompt generated by the base unit to press the Octothorpe key (#) to establish communication, such as xe2x80x9cIf you wish to now be connected, please press #xe2x80x9d. A suitable DTMF detector contained within the base unit could then receive the command key entered by a called or calling party, and cause the ICM means to be inhibited and a communication channel to be established immediately between the calling and called parties.
In this embodiment, the original OGM message generation means could continue to conclusion, albeit muted from the voice channel and calling party, and the substitute OGM described previously would be heard, instead, or the original OGM message generation means would be terminated and replaced with the substitute OGM.